engman



(No-Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. F. ENGMAN.

LUBRIGATOR.

Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

cZLJQ X8-MM UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT CHARLES F. ENGMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LOUISA.

CHANDLER, OF SAME PLACE.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,863, dated January 4, 1898. Application filed December 5,1895- Serlal No. 571,178. (No model.)

plants or systems for the boxes, bearings, and

other parts of machinery.

It is the especial purpose of the invention to avoid all fluid-pressures, such as that of compressed air, as the agent for impelling the oil to the bearings, because I find such fluidpressures to be detrimental to the operation, and I therefore aim to get rid of-even such small quantities of air as may in any manner get into the oil. The invention is operated, therefore, by pumping oil against a valve loaded to the proper pressure, which pressure is, according to hydraulic principles, distributed th oughout the system. Atthe parts to be lub icated I also do away with oil-cups and substitute a peculiarly-formed regulating-valve which chokes down the feed to the desired rate, and the outlet side of this valve is freely opened to atmosphere.

The invention also relates to the details and combinations of parts of the apparatus by which the oil-feed is maintained and controlled.

Referring to the d rawin gs which accompany the specification to aid the description, Figure 1 is a view of a machinery plant equipped with my invention. It is designed to clearly present a comprehensive view of how the invention may be applied and operated in connection with a steam-engine and other apparatus Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on alar er scale, of one of the regulating-valves; and ig.

3 is an elevation of the body part of the same,-

Fig. abeing a horizontal section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail of certain parts'of the system on alarger scale than that of Fig. 1 and showing the filters in section. Fig. 6 is a section of the pressure-valve.

The construction and application of my invention are asfollows:

A being an engine, and B any apparatus driven thereby by belt C, the various moving joints are oiled by'my regulating-valves T T, in connection with other parts of my invention to be hereinafter described.

D is an oil-tank having an opening d to atmosphere and connected by pipe 6 with any suitable pump E, driven by'any suitable'en' gine. Pipe f leads from the delivery side of pumpEinto and nearly to the top of cylinder F. Said cylinder F, which is closed at the top and connected with a pressuregage H and petcock h, is an intermediate oil chamber or reservoir wherein I develop the pressure and separate any air that may have gotten into the oil, for as the oil enters from pipe fit falls down to the bottom of said cylinder F, displacing the air, which is gradually compressed at the top and from time to .time drawn off by petcock .h, any oil that may escape withthe air being caught in the funnel at thetop of pipe i and returned to the tank D through pipe g, with which pipe t' connects at the cross j. Said crossj may also be connected with filters K K, of suitable description. The oil finally returns to tank D by pipe .9. I may of course omit said filters from the system, but when said filters are used Iprefer to Warm the oil in the filters by means of a steam-pipe w.

In the manner'just described 1" separate practically all the air from the oil and much increase the efileiency of the system thereby.

I eifect the distribution of the oil as follows:

'On pipe 9 from the top of cylinder F, and

which pipe 9 is returned to tank D, I place a weighted valve G, of any suitable description,

arranged to open from cylinder F. In practice I prefer a spring-weighted valve where the valve-plug is forced on a seat in the ordinary manner bya spring, the pressure being regulated by the compression of the spring. Said valve G is arranged to close with any desired pressure suflicient to force the oil to all desired points, cylinder F being abundantly strong enough to withstand that pressure, and whenever the pressure increases above that limit valve G opens as a relief, a certain quantity of oil escaping from cylinder F and returning to tank D. Thus my invention in this respect consists in pumping oil against a valve, as G, loaded to a' desired pressure, which pressure thus generated incyl- IOO ind-er F goes by pipe f provided with valve f ,ultimately to the main pipe 8, and thence to the said regulating-valves T T. Between said cylinder F and said valves T T, I prefer to interpose filters R R,'though my invention can be operated without them. Said filters R are two in number, so that in case one clogs up it may be cut out by valves 9 and 26 Without stopping the system. Said filtersR have a chamber 21, connected with inlets 25, controlled by said valves g and from which chambers 21 are suspended baskets 23, constructed of wire mesh soldered on metal-rings 24, said rings restingon a diaphragm 28, as shown. I prefer to surround said baskets 23 with a filtering-cloth 20, such as burlap. The out-f lets 27, controlled by valves 26, connect with pipes 1: 4', which ultimately join into'main Figs. 2, 3, and 4.)

1 is the inlet through threaded boss 2. 3 is a cone-ended spindle threaded through 'boss 14 and seating on inlet 1.

Disk 4, fixed on spindle 3, has peripheral notches 5, in some one of which. bearsa spring 6, positioned byascrew 7 When the disk 4 is turned by theoperator to any position, spring 6, engaging some one notch 5, holds the disk and spindle in that position, thus maintainingthe desired opening in the valve. Chamber 8 has a sloping bottom 13, down which the oil trickles drop by drop to orifice 9.. Said orifice 9 is of good size and is connected with atmosphere by openings 10 through the wall of the valve T. Fromorifice 9 the drops of oil fall into outlet 11 through boss 12, which is screwed on the joint to be lubricated and connected in the usual manner with the points where the oil is to be delivered.

T is a plug seating in the valve, as shown.

Said valves T are not oil -'cups, are ex-' pressly designed not to contain oil, but merely to provide controlled channels through which the oil can trickle at a desired rate, and for this purpose the chamber in said valves is connected directly with atmosphere by agood-sized opening, as described, so that no pressure can be developed in the valve. Oil does not collect in .the valve, but merely trickles down the sides and bottom of chamber 8, and I facilitate this by the groove 8 beneath inlet 2.

From the lower side of the cross-heads, pillow-blocks, and other joints where a valve T is placed lead return drip-pipes p p, preferably graded downward to a pipe 10, from which, controlled by proper valves m, lead branches Z Z to the aforesaid filters KK. Ul-

timatel-y the waste oil from the dripepipes p p,

having been filtered in filters K K, goes again into the tank D by pipes and'g; 1 The aforesaid openings 10 are used as sightfeeds to determine the rate at which the oil is dripping.

.From the description hereinbefore given it will be seen that in my system there is a continual circulation of oil produced by the action of the pump combined with that of the loaded valve from the oil-tank to the bearings and thence back by the drips and through suitable filters to the tank and that the oil is to the greatest possible degree free from air or other gaseous fluid.

I In lubricating bearings of dynamos the pipes s or s and 10" can be insulated in any suitable manner, as at 00 I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a lubricating system, of a reservoir for the lubricant,a pump adapted to draw the lubricant therefrom, an oil and air separating chamber, a pipe from the pump to the upper part of said chamber, and an outlet-pipe from below the oil-level of said chamber, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination in a lubricating system, of a reservoir for the lubricant, a pump adapted to draw the lubricant therefrom, an

oil and air separating chamber F operatively .connected at its upper part with said pump,

anoutlet-pipe from below the oil-level of said chamber F,'and a loaded valve operatively connected with said chamber F and against whichthe pump Works, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a lubricating system and with joints to be lubricated, of a reservoir for the lubricant, a pump operatively ing chamber operatively connected with the outlet side of the pump, a loaded valve operatively connected with the said chamber and against which the pump works, a pipe from the outlet side of said valve back to the reservoir, a pipe from below the oil-level of said separating-chamber to the joints, drippipes from the joints back to the aforesaid reservoir,'and filters operatively connected with said drippipes, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of December, 1895.

CHARLES F. ENGMAN. Witnesses:

HENRY C. J oHNsoN, DAVID W. BROWN.

, Now, having described my improvements,

connected therewith, an oil and air separat- 

